Amateur Boxing Association: ensure transparency, restore live scoring

"Boxing became one the most controversial sports at the London olympics. Referees were expelled, teams filed complaints to the court of arbitration for sport and most memorably a Thai boxer weeping in the ring after a controversial loss that saw the crowd at the ExCel Arena jeering the result."

After a scandalous Beijing Olympics in 2008 that saw Taekwondo plagued by scoring controversies that almost saw the sport removed from the competition, the recent London Olympics was a completely different story; the taekwondo tournament went smoothly with virtually no complaints.

Boxing, on the other hand, did the opposite. The Amateur Boxing Association (AIBA) deciding to scrap live electronic televised instant scoring, which has been used in previous Olympics, and replace it with a less transparent system where the scores would be shown only at the end of each round.

Boxing became one of the most controversial sports at the London olympics. Referees were expelled, teams filed complaints to the court of arbitration for sport and most memorably a Thai boxer weeping in the ring after a controversial loss that saw the crowd at the ExCel Arena jeering the result.

Olympic boxing moved to a computerized system in the wake of Roy Jones Jr’s infamously unfair loss at 1988 Seoul Games, I do not understand why AIBA has resurrected a failed scoring system to replace one that has helped the sport come so far.

To restore AIBA’s reputation as a professional trustworthy organization, I am calling on AIBA's president Wu Ching-Kuo and the executive committee members to put the live scoring system back in place before the next major tournament. Live scoring ensures transparency with nothing hidden from on-site spectators and television audiences at any moment of the whole bout.

Dr Chungwon Choue, Taekwondo Federation president, says he introduced electronic scoring to make the sport cleaner more transparent so that the sport can “continue to keep spreading the Olympic values,” but what AIBA is doing is tarnishing the spirit of fair play.

Join me in supporting this campaign, AIBA needs to realize that fans around the world are demanding fairness in judging and we won’t give up.

I just signed the following petition addressed to: AIBA (International Amateur Boxing Association) and IOC (International Olympic Committee )

----------------Stop all "foul plays" by AIBA in future boxing matches!

Apart from that scandalous bantam weight bout of Azerbaijan vs Japan on August 1, 2012, Amateur International Boxing Association (AIBA) did it again with a few more controversial contests (e.g., Indian boxers) including that erroneous decision against Thai boxer Kaew Pongprayoon on August 11. Such outrageous AIBA’s decisions have prompted a need for all people concerned to pull efforts to thwart future foul plays by AIBA and uproot its appalling judging system which has been wrecking the sanctity of world sports (boxing) for years. The concerted efforts should bring forth a fair, just and transparent conduct of affairs in all aspects of AIBA endeavors. In short, NO MORE CHEATING – AIBA!

Quintessentially, live scoring system needs to be put in place at all future matches to ensure transparency i.e., nothing is hidden from on-site spectators and television audiences at any moment of the whole bout. And only through restoration of live scoring, the professional trustworthiness of AIBA and its judging teams could possibly be retained.

Towards this end, the world could also benefit from the spill-over effects these should bring onto many other sport circles. And all these should be a healthy facelift for AIBA & IOC and a great noble cause for the future world of sports!